


I Was An Island

by xRamona



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: "Be my wedding date?" AU lol, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Everybody Lives, F/F, F/M, Gen, Gendry/Arya is the main focus, Getting to Know Each Other, Weddings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-14
Updated: 2017-06-15
Packaged: 2018-11-14 03:11:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11199258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xRamona/pseuds/xRamona
Summary: Arya Stark was obviously too tiny to hold much liquor.But telling her she couldn't do something was the quickest way to get her to try.Which might have been why she's accidentally breaking into the flat she could have sworn was her own and ransacking the fridge.She's not even sorry.(or in which arya drunkenly mistakes gendrys flat for her own and an unlikely friendship blossoms)





	1. I was an island, before you came along

**Author's Note:**

> theres an outdated reference in here & prolly some mistakes  
> sorry, no beta!

Arya Stark had done plenty of dumb things in her nineteen years. She'd jumped from ridiculously high places, choppily cut her hair in an act of defiance, run away for several months, and evaded a few breaking and entering charges by pure luck. Just to name a few.

But leaving her flat door unlocked? A brand new level of dumb.  
It was odd, though. She could have sworn she had locked it when she'd left. Hadn't she?

Then again, Sansa had been rushing her. She might have just been stupid enough to leave her flat unlocked in a hurry. She worried for only a few moments before remembering Needle. The thought of her trusty sword put any concerns to rest and she stepped through, shutting the door behind her and tossing her bag onto the red sofa.

When did she get a red sofa?

"Excuse me?"

New question. When did she get a _very fit_ and _very confused_ flatmate?  
  
Arya thought that was something she might remember. Tall and muscular with broad shoulders. Striking blue eyes and a mop of thick, inky hair. Yeah, she would have most definitely remembered that.

"Who the fuck are you?" The man asked, shock clear in his features as his hand reached to his heart.

"Who the fuck are you?"

"I asked you first!"

"I asked you second!"

He frowned, evidently not having liked her reply. Then again, Arya thought, she wouldn't have liked that reply either. It was childish and had her brain been working in a clearer fashion she likely would have had something snarkier to say. Though she wasn't exactly sure if that would have been a good thing. Probably not, judging by how very annoyed he looked. Was he a burglar? Dammit, Needle was in her room and it would take her a precious minute to slip past him to find her weapon. He wasn't a very good burglar, she thought. He didn't even have a mask or anything! What kind of cocky little-!

"What're you doing in my flat?" She asked, brushing messy dark locks from her face. "You're not a very good thief, you realize."

"I'm not a thief at all!"

It was then that Gendry noticed her speech was somewhat slurred, and the gloss of her grey eyes implied she had been drinking. That would explain a lot, Gendry thought. He knew that he should be explaining things simpler, slower, and shooing her out, but something about tossing out a drunken girl to fend for herself on her way home didn't sit right. He had sisters, and he knew if some gent pulled that shit he'd be furious. Not only that but he was a pretty decent human being. He didn't need sisters to want to help. It was difficult to think on how to help her when she kept aggravating him with every word, though. Was she just a snarky drunk or was that a constant state? She may have looked small and dainty but judging by the guarded way she carried herself, even while wasted, he was willing to bet the latter.

"S'you just like to take a nice nap in other peoples flats for a hobby?"

"This is my flat!"

"And this is where I keep all the fucks I give," She scoffed, holding out an empty hand.

"Are you mental or pissed?"

"A little of both." She snorted and waved him off, working to slip from her shoes, apparently making herself at home.

"Have you got someone to call? That could get you home safely?"

"Phone is in my purse." 

He moved to retrieve it and found it locked, showing the keypad and a picture of the girl, grinning widely, with her arms around an exceptionally large dog. Seven Hells, was that even considered a dog? It looked more like a beast from ancient lore. It seemed to even be taller than the squatting human embracing it. Shit. The girl was yawning now and that didn't seem like a stellar sign. He needed the code or he wouldn't get her out 'til morning. Of course it was locked. What had he expected?

"What is th-"

"Nymeria."

He typed it in, the phone unlocking to reveal another photo of the girl, this time in a black leotard with her hair pined up and an arm slung around a tall, lean man with dark hair. Maybe at a dance studio? Yeah, likely a dancer. She was lithe like a dancer, and the outfit and background seemed to scream the answer. That's what he could make out from her ungodly amount of apps blocking most of the picture, anyways. Did any one person really need so many? He went into her contacts and turned to ask her who to call, finding her rummaging in his fridge, appearing again with a can of cola and bagged lunch meat.

What the fuck?

"Who should I ... ?"

"My sister, Sansa, maybe. She and her girlfriend might be busy, though." She spoke through a mouthful of sliced turkey and wiggled her dark, thick eyebrows suggestively.

He called and waited a few rings before hanging up as a feminine voice filtered through, telling him to leave a voicemail. That seemed about right for how his luck had been since the girl first entered his flat. How had he been dumb enough to leave the door unlocked? It was far-fetched that she had drank enough to be in the completely wrong complex, so he deduced that she must have gotten off at the wrong floor, though he wondered absently about her schedule considering he'd never seen her in the building before. Then again, he worked long hours and spent all his free time with friends. That would make sense. Not to mention he felt like an absolute creep thinking about this intruding strangers schedule.

"Who now?"

"Brienne?" She took a deep swig of coke and rubbed at her eyes. "Just got back from her doe party, though. She's probably knackered."

"That explains a lot." Gendry snorted.

The girl turned, eyebrows scrunching up as her face twisted into an offended expression. "Explains what?"

"Explains why you're wolfing down all the lunch meat in my fridge after breaking into my flat."

"'s'not breaking in if you left the door open, now is it?" She replied tiredly, picking the tab from the can.

Gendry ignored her reply and found the requested person within the contacts list. He didn't mean to invade her privacy, really, but he couldn't help noticing all the names in her contacts. She seemed to have lots of the numbers from higher class families. A few Lannisters, a majority of the Tyrells, and even the Starks on a first name basis. It was strange but he didn't focus on it for very long. More pressing matters. Like getting her the hell out.

The call to her friend Brienne went much the same as the one to Sansa had. A few rings and then a message, though in a much less feminine tone, asking to leave a voicemail or call back later. It seemed he had done something in this life or the last to anger the Gods both old and new. This must be some prime entertainment, he supposed, turning to find the girl with her head buried in the crook her her arm. 

Was she asleep?

She still had the damn turkey in her mouth, judging by the bulge in her cheek.

"Were you raised by wolves?" He asked, shaking her awake none too gently.

"I s'pose thats one way of putting it, yeah." Her voice was somewhat muffled and she swallowed, the fullness of her cheek reducing.

"Nobody is answering. Who next?"

"I dunno."

"Haven't you got parents?"

"Don't call them," she huffed. "Mum will lose it."

"Are you even of age?"

"'course I'm of age, you prat."

He shook his head. At oldest, she seemed maybe sixteen or seventeen. Maybe that sister had bought it for her? Or maybe, shockingly enough, she truly was legal. That might just be considered the wildest part of this entire adventure if it were to be true.

"Try Sandor. He hates me, sometimes, but hes alright." She stood, wobbling slightly before regaining her balance. She must have been very agile while sober, Gendry thought, considering she maintained pretty good balance in her current state. He attributed that to the idea of her being a dancer. All the more proof for him having been right. He was like a damn Hardy Boy, honestly. They didn't have shit on his level of detective work.

The call to Sandor went directly to voicemail and he told the girl as much.

"Either he doesn't want me botherin' him or his phone is dead." She tossed her hands up in a shrug, opening the door to his bathroom and peeking in. "He never charges it. I should buy 'im a portable for Christmas." Her sentence was cut off in a yawn and she edged to the next door, this time glancing into his bedroom. She moved through the doorway and Gendry followed quickly. What the hell was she up to now? It was like having a toddler running about.

Her speech was going downhill fast, he noticed, and stopped short when she opened his dresser.

"What are you doing?"

She didn't answer, her hands reaching down to pull off her top. Her dark hair, tipped at the ends with a vibrant green, contrasted greatly against her pale skin. Blue eyes scanned quickly down her back before her awkwardly cleared his throat. Definitely a dancer, Gendry mused as he averted his eyes. Being right never felt so improper.

She slipped on a shirt from his top drawer, and old red one with a faded logo from a band he had loved as a teen, and tucked her hand under the clothing. In only a minute, she had dropped her bra on the ground and crawled under the comforter.

What kind of human being could sleep with jeans on? What in the _literal, actual fuck?_

He supposed he should be thankful for the bit of decency that had reminded her to undo her bra covertly and leave her pants on. He wasn't in the least, but he supposed he should be all the same.

"'night." She mumbled, pulling the covers over her face and angling herself into a rather strange position.

He could swear she was feral.

He sighed, tossing her phone onto the bed beside her and resigning himself to put up what remained of the meat and get comfy on the couch.

 


	2. Put your boat in my sand, your hand in my hand, your heart in my songs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the song this fic & its chapters are named after can be found here; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03cZxS70iLk  
> if you've got any interest in listening to that
> 
> i love the song and it immediately made me think of them the first time i heard it!  
> aaand maybe ill post my gendrya playlist? what do you all think?  
> enjoy !

Arya wondered absently if it was possible to hire a hitman for yourself. That had to be a thing, right? A bullet to the head would definitely relieve the ache.

She groaned, reaching up to run her fingers through her messy hair. It was growing, she noticed, though thankfully not enough to have tangled just yet. Give it another week or so and she'd have to make another appointment to avoid such a problem. She looked around blearily and found her surroundings entirely unfamiliar. Rolling onto her back, Arya brought her palms to her face and groaned. Had she gone off with someone? Why had Sansa not been watching her? She brought a hand to the mattress to push herself to sit up, finding herself for the most part dressed. Aside from a worn out shirt she hadn't been wearing the night before and her lack of a tit prison, all things seemed relatively normal. There wasn't even some stranger trying to spoon her.

She pushed the dark blue comforter off her legs and felt something hard, finding her phone twisted up in the sheets. Her phone! She quickly unlocked it, flicking into her text conversations and finding Sansa. She shot off a quick, desperate message to her sister asking what in the ever loving fuck had happened by the end of the night. A majority of the party was still crystal clear, and the rest was simply various degrees of foggy yet memorable. But once the night had begun winding down, everything became more and more unclear. She hoped Sansa knew because she sure as hell didn't. She would had to have noticed if Arya had went off with somebody. Then again, Arya mused, she would be surprised if Sansa had noticed The Poweruff Girls fighting it out with Tommy Pickles considering the outfit Margaery had chosen for the night.

She stood, taking the moment to glance around her. The bedroom was similar to her own with the same bay window and white walls. She entertained the thought of having crashed at her friend and neighbors flat before realizing the room wasn't terribly messy and cluttered. Couldn't be Hot Pie, then - the only clean and organized area in his flat was the kitchen. It was actually relatively neat. The closet door was slightly ajar, with a guitar stood up in the corner and another hanging carefully on the wall. Oh gods, Arya groaned again. She had sworn off musicians! There was a lamp on the bedside table along with a notebook and pen, but she left it all alone since the light through the window was more than adequate to see. She scanned the floor, finding her bra and shirt there. That sounded like her- she'd always been known to just toss her clothes carelessly and complain about not finding them come laundry day. She glanced at the door and quickly moved to take off the shirt, clasp her bra, and pull the shirt from the night before back on, all the time praying to every god she could that the owner wouldn't walk in.

She ran a hand through her hair once more, shaking it out and heading to the door. Okay, she could do this.

She was Arya fucking Stark. She was queen of breezing through uncomfortable and awkward moments. It was practically a talent. That shit could go on a job application, she was sure.

Of course she could do this!

She took a breath and opened the door, peeking out and scanning her surroundings. Nothing yet. Good sign?

She padded her way into the open space of the flat, turning to look at the kitchen and jumping when she found the presumed owner of the apartment. Tall, muscular, broad shoulders. Stunning blue eyes. Inky dark hair. The description of him in her head felt familiar but she brushed it off, finding herself somewhat distracted. Drunk Arya had excellent taste. And now a very hungover, very confused Arya got to reap in all the awkward morning talk. 

"Y'alright?" He asked, turning from the small stove. It was interesting to see the girl that had basically broken in last night acting like she was trying to escape a one night stand. Very unexpected. He wondered momentarily about how much she remembered and guessed it wasn't much from the puzzlement written on her features. Though it had been a weird experience. He was completely sober and still doubted this was happening. Even with the roughly five feet of proof standing in front of him it was utterly bizarre.

"Uh, yeah." How eloquent, Arya, really. "Just confused."

"As am I." He grinned easily and raised an eyebrow. The action relaxed her slightly seeing as he didn't seem to feel anything but vaguely uncomfortable. "I'm Gendry, by the way. Seems I had very little time to introduce myself when you raided my fridge."

A slow smile grew on her face as she shook her head. She wasn't going to apologize for that. She'd just toss him a tenner or two for his trouble and call it even. "I like to eat," she offered the simple explanation with a shrug. "I'm Arya."

"Well, mornin' Arya. I have a question."

"Shoot," she said, sliding into a chair at the kitchen table. He seemed pleasant enough. He wasn't bitter over her eating his food or appearing threatening in any way besides his natural build. Most people had a build that looked far stronger than she was, so it was much less worrying now when she was accustomed to that. She was definitely tinier when compared to a majority of people and had long grown to accept this as an advantage rather than resent the fact. The biggest was not always the strongest, she knew, the one most in tune to their body was.

"Have you got any clue what you did last night?" He asked, settling a glass of water and a small bottle of pain relievers before her. Bless the man for knowing just how icky her mouth felt. Did he also realize she had debated death as an alternative to this headache? Maybe she should ~~'nt~~ mention that.

She nodded her thanks and answered with another shrug, eyebrows furrowing. "I've absolutely no clue. Did we hav-?"

"No! No, uh. Yeah, none of that. You kind of stripped in my room bu-" He began hurriedly explaining, his face becoming heated as the memory resurfaced.

Arya took one look at his reddening cheeks and laughed as Gendry shook his head and groaned, embarrassed at both her reaction and his own. She attempted to muffle the laughter with her hands and failed miserably, almost choking on her spit in the most unattractive way.

"Just one 'no' would have been fine," Arya said when she had mostly regained composure, thinking it was somewhat adorable to see such a large guy so flustered.

"I- Okay. Yeah."

She huffed out another laugh and tossed back two pills, capping back the bottle and passing it to him. When he had taken it and moved to return it to its place, she asked her own question. "So, why am I in your flat, then?"

"You guess is as good as mine. You sort of just opened the door and walked in."

 _No fucking way_ , Arya thought. "I didn't!"

"You absolutely did. Then asked who the fuck I was and what I was doing in your flat. I also distinctly remember you informing me of just how shitty a thief I am. I thought you were absolutely mental for a bit."

"I would have, too." She laughed again, harder this time and finding her stomach began to hurt after a moment. "Oh, gods. I'm sorry about," she waved her hand loosely, "all of that."

"While I was calling some people you also ate almost all the turkey and fell asleep."

"Still eating the turkey?"

"Yep."

She opened her mouth to defend herself and quickly shut it. No. That was accurate. She'd done the same with both ham and pop rocks before. It was still a mystery how she managed to snooze with the popping in her mouth and Bran was determined to find out. "Yikes," she commented, scrunching up her nose again. "Did you manage to get a hold of anybody?"

"No. You had me try Sansa, Brienne, and Sandor."

"Ah. If Sansa didn't answer she was probabl-"

"Shagging her girlfriend? You mentioned."

Arya snorted, finding the man amusing. They were going to be friends, she decided. Arya was nothing if not fiercely determined. He slid into the seat across from her, slipping a plate in front of her. A sliced orange, some bacon, and a few chopped up and seasoned potatoes.

"Breakfast always helps me," he explained with a shrug, taking a sip of his water.

She took his word for it and began eating. Her mother would be so proud she wasn't talking with her mouth full. 

"Why you've got The Hound in your contacts is something I'll never comprehend," Gendry said casually, in clear contrast to the way Arya choked on her bite of bacon when he mentioned it.

"We've got a weird history," she explained. "He was kind of like a babysitter when my family got separated on vacation one year. Lots of political shit."

"Ah. Well, he sent you straight to voicemail."

"What a cunt."

"You've decided to buy that cunt a portable charger for Christmas." Gendry laughed. "Just so you know."

"That's actually a decent idea. Thats one down then."

Gendry snorted and shook his head. "This story should make a great present for the Bride-To-Be, I think."

"Oh, no! Bri would be worried sick. She'd feel awful. She's really protective and full of all these strict morals. I've no idea how she's marrying Jaime."

"Your sister and her girlfriend?"

"Endless teasing. They'd love this story to shit and tell it to death every chance for the next month."

It was somewhat odd to just be sharing breakfast in the flat of some strange, Arya thought. She hadn't even known this guy twelve hours ago and now they were sharing laughs and talking about her family so casually. She was rarely open about her family; it was difficult to trust that some people weren't in it to sell a story when you were raised in the limelight. She figured if he hadn't snapped pictures of a pissed Arya Stark and sent them around yet than he probably wouldn't. Yeah, they were totally meant to be friends. He had absolutely zero say in the matter. The Gods had decided it and so had she. He was utterly fucked and definitely her new best friend. Gendry laughed, bright blue eyes lighting up further, and Arya grinned back.

She sat her fork on the quickly emptied dish. She knew loads of people that got nausea with a hangover, but she always felt the opposite. She was starving and usually swallowed down whatever was around. Sansa usually pitched a fit and left the room when she did so, claiming it entirely inhuman and disgusting. 

"So, I basically stole your flat, your food, and your bed?"

"Basically."

"You're a trooper."

"So I've been told."

"I'm a wonderful guest."

They both broke into laughter at the ridiculous notion and Arya found her body less achy and disoriented than it had been prior. She figured it was the good food and fun company, as normally she'd be sore for the rest of the day after drinking. It was a welcome alternative. 

"Why didn't you call me a cab?"

"You didn't exactly mention when you lived."

"You didn't ask?"

"I try not to make a habit of asking pissed girls where they live. Seems pretty off, yeah?"

Arya chuckled and flicked him off. "You know what I mean!"

"I honestly didn't think to. I figured somebody would come get you and you ended up just walking of to find my bed. I am not to be blamed here."

"I think you had ill intentions, Sir." Arya smirked, waggling her brows in a way that reminded Gendry of the night before.

"I assure you I didn't, m'lady."

"Don't call me that. I'm not a lady!"

"Are you sure?"

"Four and a half brothers. Not a lady."

"A half? How do y'get half a brother?"

"Theon. He's usually a dick so I only count him occasionally."

"Excellent rules to live by."

"Agreed. This is gonna sound sudden but..."

"But?" He prompted.

"Where are we?"

"Harrenhal."

"You're shitting me." Arya groaned, the noise quickly ebbing off into a disbelieving giggle. "No fucking way."

"What?"

"Right complex, wrong flat."

"I figured you'd gotten off at the wrong floor or somethin'."

Arya shook her head, leaning back in the chair and sighing. "Sansa can never get married."

"Why? Breaking and entering is a great way to make some mates."

She gave him a dirty look. "Not breaking and entering if your door was unlocked, is it?"

Her phone buzzed before Gendry could offer a rebuttal and Arya dug it out from her back pocket. Sansa was claiming to be on her way over and Arya wasn't eager to do a walk of shame that was shameful in a few different and odd ways than expected, especially not with her sister at the door of her flat. Sansa would flip shit and read way too much into it. She sighed and stood, moving to find her bag.

"Sorry to bounce," Arya explained, finally spotting the thin black bag standing out against a somewhat dingy red couch.   
"Sansa decided to come over without much warning to talk about last night and... yeah," she slipped the strap over her shoulder and moved to the door.   
"See you later, Gendry!"

When she had closed the door behind her, she glanced at the front of his door. 4B. Arya made a mental note of that since they hadn't exchanged numbers. She smiled to herself and stepped away.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i got a pretty great call to continue this and that definitely swayed my decision haha,, i personally feel pretty unhappy with this chapter honestly (mostly the ending of it ugh) but ???? what can ya do i guess! fillers are always a hassle to write and ive never had to endure this sort of awkward meeting
> 
> i really appreciate the kudos, comments, and bookmarks & thank you for reading!
> 
> if youve got questions or suggestions on things you might want to see, feel free to share! id love to hear your input xx
> 
> (disclaimer; im american. sorry if im fucking shit up with uk stuff!)


End file.
